Posts Tagged ‘Dominican Republic’

The Philadelphia Phillies are on a roll. Having won ten straight and extending their division lead to 6.5 games over Atlanta, they seem to be on top of the world with everything in place. Although, the rumors of Roy Halladay are still swirling and recent signing Pedro Martinez is making some people ask questions. Do the Phillies have too much pitching? Where will Pedro pitch?

Right now, the Phillies’ starting rotation consists of Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer, and Rodrigo Lopez. When Pedro rehabs, and if he is major league ready, the most likely pitcher to lose his spot is Lopez. Right now though, Lopez is 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA, and the Phillies have won everyone of his starts. There is no way they could remove him from the rotation if he stays on this roll. Next option for replacement would be Jamie Moyer, who has put up less than stellar numbers this season, although he is beginning to come around. Moyer would have to be moved to the bullpen if Martinez entered the rotation, which will just not happen.

Another discussed option is putting Pedro in the bullpen. Martinez was the closer for the Dominican Republic, and during his introductory press conference, stressed that he would do the same. The Phillies already have a closer, Brad Lidge, so Martinez would have to be more of a middle reliever. The feeling is that it would not go over well with Pedro, so that is another risky option.

Another pitcher hoping to comeback with the Phils is starter Brett Myers. He was believed to be lost for the season when he had hip surgery in June, but Myers is ahead of schedule and could return as a reliever. Brett excelled in this role back in 2007, saving 21 games for the Phillies. It is also known that manager Charlie Manuel loves relievers that can come into the game firing. If Myers does come back, who’s roster spot does he take? Eric Bruntlett has been struggling all season, but is a super utility man. Outfielder John Mayberry Jr. has been serviceable for the Phillies this year, but they are carrying five outfielders.

What I believe should happen is if the Phillies have extended their division to lead to about ten games over the second place team, why not use a six-man rotation? It’ll be the dog days of summer by August, and this will allow everyone to be rested for the postseason. With Myers, I believe the Phillies should send down outfielder John Mayberry Jr. He could use some more seasoning down at AAA Lehigh Valley.

Ruben Amaro Jr. has a lot to work out over the next few months, but isn’t the old saying ” If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”?

The Philadelphia Phillies appear desperate. In search of starting pitching, and while the rumors of a trade for Roy Halladay are swirling, at least five members of the Phils’ front office is watching Pedro Martinez pitch in the Dominican Republic.

The past two seasons have been largely ineffective for Pedro. In that time span, he’s gone 8-7 in only 137 innings pitched. In fact, the last year in which Pedro pitched like Pedro was in 2005, when he went 15-8 with an ERA of 2.82. Four years removed from that time, Pedro has been training in the Dominican, waiting for a team to come calling. It appears that the Phillies could be that team.

The Phils, who have had one of the worst starting rotation’s ERA in the majors this season, have been decimated by injuries. Brett Myers is expected to be lost for the season with hip surgery. His replacement, Antonio Bastardo, is now on the DL with an arm injury. The Phils dug deeper into their minor league pool, and called up former big leaguer Rodrigo Lopez. Lopez, who hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2007, had two effective starts for Philadelphia. He had to be pulled from his last start with shoulder tendinitis, but he is expected to make his next start. Even if Lopez went on the DL, the Phillies still have much depth in their minor league system. Former big leaguer Kyle Kendrick was sent down to work on his confidence and develop a change up. He has been average at Triple A, but still a viable option. Alongside him is top prospect, Carlos Carrasco, who has been streaky so far this season. Even deeper into the system, two number one picks, Joe Savery and Kyle Drabek, have been tearing it up at Double A Reading. Savery has won 10 games, and Drabek has owned opposing hitters since being called up from Clearwater.

Outside the team, the Phillies have been actively looking for a starter not named Pedro. Roy Halladay has been mentioned in many rumors, but the Phils would have to give up top prospects, such as Drabek and Carrasco. They would have Halladay for the next one and a half years, but it seems unlikely that the Phils would be willing to mortgage their future. Personally, I look for the Phillies to continue their recent trend in the past years, and go under the radar to pick up a starter. Seattle’s Jarrod Washburn and Boston’s Brad Penny fit the bill. Although neither would fill the void at the top of the rotation next to Cole Hamels, it seems like the best option for the Phils. Unless Pedro still has some magic left in his right arm, don’t expect him to sign, or make much of an impact if he does.